The Teacher

The following is an excerpt from Who Is This Jesus? By Daniel Owens

The Teacher
There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight weren’t in on it.”

Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to-to God’s kingdom.” (John 3:1-3)

Many have called Jesus the greatest teacher ever to live. He is our example of how to teach. He could hold the attention of his listeners, no matter their age. The parables he taught have been told and retold for generations.

In John 3, Nicodemus approaches Jesus, the great teacher. Sometimes we gloss over this story, but a closer look reveals why this was such an amazing encounter. We see in this story the qualities that made Jesus such a wonderful teacher.

Jesus Was Approachable
Nicodemus was from the upper class, a leader, and a member of the ruling council. He was so prominent that, in verse 10, Jesus refers to him as “Israel’s teacher.” As a Pharisee, however, he led a legalistic lifestyle, holding on to the Old Testament law and man-made traditions that had developed among the Jews over the years. Nicodemus was the one with all the answers to people’s questions.

We all know people like Nicodemus, people who believe their way of thinking is the only way to think. There are even ministers like that. In several of his books, Philip Yancey exposes the damage that dogmatic, legalistic pastors have done. They wield Scripture as a tool of manipulation, and they use guilt as a weapon.

Nicodemus might have been very closed minded when it came to new ideas, but something about Jesus gnawed at him. So he came to see Jesus at night. Many theologians have supposed that Nicodemus was afraid of what his peers might think of him going to see Jesus, prompting him to wait for the cover of night. It could also be, however, that he was smart and knew that people surrounded Jesus during the day. Perhaps that’s why he sought him in the evening, when he could easily have a private audience with him.

An even more thought-provoking possibility is that he came at night because he was a teacher of the law, and many teachers at that time did a great deal of their studying at night. Today we still have college students who stay up well into the night to churn out a paper or study for a test!

The main point, however, is that Nicodemus went to see Jesus. He must have heard much about this new teacher. He believed Jesus would receive him and listen to him.

Charles Templeton, who traveled extensively with Billy Graham back in the 1950s, eventually drifted away from the faith. He even wrote a book called Farewell to God: My Reasons for Rejecting the Christian Faith. Shortly before his death, he granted an interview to Lee Strobel, in which he explained his reasons for walking away from the Lord.

In his book The Case for Faith, Strobel quotes Templeton:

[I saw] a picture of a black woman in Northern Africa . . . . They were experiencing a devastating drought. And she was holding her dead baby in her lorn expression. I looked at it and I thought, “Is it possible to believe that there is a loving or caring Creator when all this woman needed was rain?”

Then I began to think further about the world being the creation of God. I started considering the plagues that sweep across parts of the planet and indiscriminately kill-more often than not, painfully-all kinds of people, the ordinary, the decent, and the rotten. And it just became crystal clear to me that this is not possible for an intelligent person to believe that there is a deity who loves.

Charles Templeton could not reconcile this problem in his mind. He could not understand why God would let bad things happen to good people. It kept him from approaching Jesus, in whom he had previously believed.

What keeps us from approaching Christ? Doubts? Time? Pride? Self-love? Shame? We don’t have to come by night. We can come before God at any time to pour out our hearts. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Approach Christ this week and pour out your heart to him.

God bless,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Listening To God

The Spirit of God does speak to us. But we have to be willing to listen. God wants to encourage us, he wants to lead us, and he wants to empower our lives. So how do we listen?

First, we study the bible. Some people are confused by the word study. I am not talking about simply reading The Daily Bread or some other daily devotional. If we go to church, Sunday school, and a Bible study during the week, that is all great, but that is not what I mean when I say, "Study the Bible." We need time alone with God and his word. This leads into the next step: meditation.

Psalm 1:2 says of the man who is blessed by God, "His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Meditating on God's Word does not involve "emptying the mind" as some of the Eastern religions define it. Meditation means filling our minds with the Word of God, then pondering it, reflecting on it, and considering how it might pertain to us. After we have read a passage thoroughly and studied it carefully, then it is time to chew on it for a while.

Most of us don't have time for meditation. We just have time to grab the Bible, flip it open to a random passage, read a few verses, and call it quits. We may think briefly about how what we have just read might apply to our lives or how we can use it to teach our Sunday school classes, but we don't allow it to penetrate our minds, wills, and emotions. If we read the Bible without allowing it to have and impact on us, if it does not change us from the inside out, then we have missed the whole point.

The purpose of reading the Bible is not so much to gain knowledge as it is to transform our lives. Meditation causes us to think: "God, that's me. I need to change. I need you to work on something inside of me."

The third step involves moving from meditation to contemplation. Contemplation goes further and deeper than meditation. Webster's dictionary defines the word contemplate as "to view or consider with the continued attention," and the word contemplation as "a state of mystical awareness of God's being." We move from reflecting on the passage we have just read to contemplating the nature and being of God. We are not rushed, we don't say much; we just dwell on the majesty, greatness, and awesomeness of God.

Joyce Huggett, in her book The Joy of Listening to God, said of the process: "We bask in the warmth of his love. We feel his gaze on us. He fills us afresh with his spirit. We receive a new perspective on life-his perspective. We draw so close to his heart that we sense his concern for the world and from our contemplation flows intercession as we catch his compassion for the hurting world." I encourage you to study the Bible not only to gain knowledge but also to develop an ear that listens for God to speak. Do you have times when you think the Lord may be speaking to you to do something, but you aren't sure?

I encourage you to do it anyway. See what happens. You may be very surprised. Be open to God's prompting.

Have you ever done a random act of kindness for someone who later told you, "That was just what I needed. How did you know?" (I love it when this happens.) You may not have even realized it, but you heard God's voice, and he used you to meet the needs of someone else.

Contemplation can take a bit of time. If you are retired, you probably have a lot of time. If you are semi-retired, you probably have much time. If you have a full-time job and a family to care for, you have some time. If you are a single mother of three children under the age of five, you have no time and no life. But no matter what your circumstance is, no matter what stage of life you are in right now, decide when you are going to make time for study, meditation, and contemplation.

The wonderful part is that you can meditate and contemplate while changing diapers, mowing the lawn, or sitting in traffic. Meditation is a matter of the heart. Sometimes it is good to find a quiet relaxing place, but that is not always possible. Just be quick to listen when you study, meditate and contemplate.

Be blessed,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Be Convinced

C.S. Lewis once wrote regarding the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ, "If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the earth", which is why it is still an "issue" to this day.

A person is defined as a "theological liberal" based on their stance on the authority of the Bible, the divinity of Christ, and the resurrection of Christ. For those of us who are more conservative or "biblical" in our beliefs, we would say that without the resurrection there is no Christianity at all. For us, everything rises and falls on the resurrection, or at least it should.

I recently heard the President of Gonzaga University enthusiastically promote a book that he just finished reading. The book was by N.T. Wright called The Resurrection of the Son of God. Gonzaga is a Catholic University in Washington and N.T. Wright is a conservative Anglican from England, and yet I have heard many Protestant scholars hail this book as one of the greatest works of the past century. Why is the resurrection so important? Another man from England, Michael Green put it so well when he wrote, "Christianity does not hold the resurrection to be one among many tenets of belief. Without faith in the resurrection there would be no Christianity at all." In other words, it is the chief tenet!

Please allow me to be of assistance in building your faith. Below is a partial review of the book The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright. I want to encourage you to read this review and then purchase the book, especially if you find your faith weak. N.T. Wright is accepted across the board as one of the greatest New Testament scholars of our day, or any day for that matter. Instead of reading all the bad news in the papers or on the internet, read his book and allow your faith to be built up in the risen Lord!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

RICHARD N. OSTLING
Associated Press

Easter is a day not only of hope, but discord - at least among theologians.

Throughout modern times, liberal scholars have challenged a central tenet of Christianity: that Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead after being crucified by the Romans on Good Friday.

Whether the Resurrection occurred, they say, is ultimately unimportant compared with Christ's message.

But to myriad Christians - who each Sunday profess faith in Jesus' Resurrection and, ultimately, their own - that's heresy. Now, a conservative theologian is backing their viewpoint with a new book.

The Rev. N.T. "Tom" Wright, who will be consecrated in July as bishop of Durham, the fourth-highest Church of England post, has just produced the most monumental defense of the Easter heritage in decades.

Wright, 54, a prolific writer of both scholarly and popular books, is currently canon theologian of Westminster Abbey and a former university instructor at Cambridge, Oxford and McGill in Montreal. He often visits the United States, lecturing in his strong baritone.

Wright's 817-page The Resurrection of the Son of God (Fortress Press) marches through a clearly organized case that confronts every major doubt about Easter, ancient and modern.

He disputes those who think the Resurrection is "beyond history."

There's a historical question, Wright insists, that is inescapable: Why did Christianity emerge so rapidly, with such power, and why did believers risk everything to teach that Jesus really rose?

He concludes the best explanation is that the earliest Christians held two strong convictions that worked in tandem:

Jesus' tomb was discovered empty on Easter morning.

Jesus then appeared to his followers alive in bodily form. In other words, they held the convictions that make up the unvarnished New Testament story.

Wright carefully sifts the New Testament and adds to that his circumstantial and logical arguments.

The best history can provide with ancient events is a "high probability" they occurred, he says. The Easter story qualifies as true because all proposed alternatives fail to explain the early power of Christianity.

The oldest alternative, mentioned in Matthew 28:12-15, was the claim Jesus' body was stolen from the tomb. Wright notes the New Testament writers presented that possibility even at the risk of "putting ideas into people's heads." They did so, he says, precisely because skeptics were trying to explain why the tomb was empty.

Saturday, April 19, 2003

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Be convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, purchase N.T. Wright's book!

Go Read,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

What's Behind The Curtain?

I never did like the Wizard of Oz as a kid. Ok, it was those flying monkeys that gave me the creeps. All the smoke, the fire, and the harsh tone of voice that came from Wizard made we want to go hide under my bed. You can well imagine how happy I was when Toto finally pulled back the curtain and revealed the little old man so gentle and sweet-the great Oz. Once that curtain was pulled back, the mysterious Oz was approachable.

I just cannot proceed to the resurrection of Christ without commenting on one of my favorite passages in the Gospels. It too speaks of a curtain and the revealing of someone great and mysterious.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Mark 15: 37-39

"The curtain of the temple was torn" is just so captivating to me. Jesus was not even near the temple; He was slowly dying on a horrible cross. Although Jesus was not at the temple it seems people were aware that the curtain had been torn, not by man, but by God. It gives me goose bumps! Such a little phrase this is, yet it is THE story of the Bible and all of history.

This curtain was hung between the Holy Place and The Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. You might remember that the Holy of Holies was where Gods presence was and that once a year only the High Priest could enter there on the Day of Atonement. The curtain was woven out of blue, purple and scarlet threads into the form of a cherub and then sown onto white linen. The cherubim are and were the guardian angels of God's holiness. If anyone besides the High Priest made it past the curtain they would surly die.

Just as Jesus breaths his last human breath the curtain tears from top to bottom. Its significance makes you want to shout "Glory to God!" The tearing of the curtain tells us that for the first time in human history every man, woman, and child had direct access to God! Yes, priests and pastors still have their function but anyone can come directly to God because of the death and resurrection of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. For centuries, the righteous ones had longed for this; the promise they were holding on to. Jesus brought us all back into a right relationship with God. It's back to the Garden of Eden where we can once again commune with the living God because of His indwelling Spirit! It's what God wanted from the beginning.

There were many who understood the significance of this event, including Jewish priests. Acts 6:7 tell us that there were priests who became followers of Jesus. "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." Maybe they became followers of Jesus because they saw the curtain supernaturally tear. Could it be that they were the ones who told the other followers like Peter and John what had actually happened. It was certainly a significant event that did not fall on deaf ears.

By the time the book of Hebrews was penned, followers of Jesus knew quite well what this tearing of the curtain meant to them. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, this his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our own hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."

Yes, we have access to God because that curtain was torn, but the more amazing thing to me is that God came after me. I did not tear the curtain, God did! God is the pursuer in His relationship with humanity. He made it possible to bring His creation back from the curse of the garden. He is the one who is deeply in love with us and committed to us. When that curtain was torn I would imagine all of heaven sang for joy and all the demons of hell stood up to take notice.

We must get this drilled into our heads and our hearts-God wants us. He wants to walk with us, talk with us, hear from us, guide us, love us, counsel us, console us, reveal to us-God is for us!

St. Augustine the Catholic and Charles Spurgeon the Protestant both agreed upon this point of God's love. It was St. Augustine who wrote, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love" and Charles Spurgeon penned, "He knows your case as thoroughly as if you were the only creature He ever made, or the only saint He ever loved." Both these great men of faith came to understanding that they were loved not because of their gifts or sacrifice, but because the God who is love, chose to love them.

I am encouraged by the words of Meister Eckhart from the 13th century, "For however devoted you are to God, you may be sure that he is immeasurably more devoted to you."

He made it possible for us to come to Him at anytime so let's take Him up on it. As Meister Echart also wrote, "God is at home, it we who have gone out for a walk" Let's ring His door bell and spend some time with Him this week. The curtain is gone and His door is open.

Peace,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Take Comfort In The Cross

The slam against evangelists through the years has been that they only have three or four sermons that they keep repeating. Most of the time the criticism came from pastors who had to weekly crank out a sermon for their congregation. Some of the accusations have been true, but there are others of us who do study and do produce new material as the Lord works in our lives. However, I eagerly confess that there is one sermon I have been preaching for well over twenty years.

For those who have been a part of our ministry teams to various parts of the world, they have heard me preach on the cross of Christ from the Gospel of Matthew. Years ago I studied the crucifixion from a historical and medical point of view. I was so moved back then by the brutality of that Roman form of execution. When you combine the crucifixion with the scourging that Jesus received, it is correct in saying that Jesus was not even recognizable while He hung on the cross for my sin.

It is not my purpose today to preach that sermon to you, if you want to hear it then come with me one of our ministry trips. Better yet, go rent Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ which finally shows the Passion as it really was. I can well remember seeing the advertisements for that movie and thinking to myself, "Someone finally got it right."The cross was brutal. The cross was ugly. The cross was execution at its worst.

Today the cross has been sanitized for us. What I mean is that we see it so often that it has little impact on us. It has become an art form or a fashion accessory. People who do not have any intention of following Christ will wear the cross. That has certainly not always been the case. As we look back in history we find that for many years after the death of Christ the cross was not at all accepted as the sign for Christians. In the earliest years of the church the symbol for followers of Jesus was the fish, as the cross was repulsive to them.

As early as second century the Christians were known to have made a sign of the cross on their foreheads. It was a way that they could be identified by other believers. They would either use something like charcoal to make the sign or just trace it on their foreheads much like the Catholics do to this day. The cross soon became the symbol of Christ's suffering and desired physical expression of the believer's faith. As early as the third century we find that the body of Christ was added to the cross in what we would now call a crucifix (Latin for "to torture") and by the fifth century the crucifix was established as a reminder of the sufferings of Christ. These items were primarily used for personal devotions and private prayer.

I would encourage you even today to read Mark chapter 15 and the account of the crucifixion. Throughout much of Christian history bearing the cross would get one killed or worse, tortured. In our society it really costs us nothing to have a cross hanging on our necks or tattooed on our arms. (No, I don't have a tattoo). There is a store in San Diego down by the water that sells only crosses. It is a beautiful store, but no one will harass you or want to kill you because you go in there to buy a cross. My point is we have lost the power, majesty and awe of the cross of Christ.

Last year I was invited to go to a Catholic church for a service. Out of kindness I went, even though I kind of felt like I had to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure none of my friends saw me. As long as I live, I will never forget the first sight of going into that church. It literally made my knees buckle. There on the front wall behind the altar was an enormous cross, but not just a cross, a crucifix. It hit me full force, the reality of Jesus dying on that cross for me. As a protestant, I am not used to seeing a portrayal of Christ hanging on a cross. Seeing the representation of Christ's body on that cross made me want to drop to my knees, bow my head, and cry out, "My Lord and my Savior." It made me want to search every area of my heart and life to see if it all truly lined up with the ways of Christ. I can honestly say that seeing that crucifix some seven months ago is still impacting my behavior.

Jesus told us that in our lifetime that we are going to have deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. I have been recently struck by the fact that Christ mentioned our cross before He ever got to His. It must have seemed strange for His followers to hear those words, "Take up your cross." As time went on they understood those words quite well as following Christ cost so many all their earthy possessions and even their very lives. Christians that were martyred were often venerated or given "sainthood" as a way of brining courage to those who were about to enter a fiery trial. Today the church in America wants to hear nothing of denying self or taking up of the cross, and we no little of the hero's of our faith.

The question has always been the same, "Will you follow Jesus Christ if it cost you something?" As our economy sinks and our moral fiber slowly dissipates, will we still be joyful followers of Jesus Christ? As we are now paying close to $5.00 a gallon for gas here in California and our property values have plummeted, will we still raise our hands on Sunday morning to worship the King? We have to remember that you cannot have the crown without the cross.

Followers of Jesus down through history can agree on one thing, Jesus keeps His promises. Jesus has told us clearly that He "will never leave us nor forsake us" and that His love for us will never cease. We are Children of God, Children of the Cross and during these difficult days of job loss, dried up savings accounts and loss of homes, Jesus is HERE to help us bear the cross. We are never alone!

Be at peace,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Envy Leads to Malice

Before I begin my devotional thought for today, I want to thank you for your prayers for our recent ministry in Iquitos, Peru. We will be sending out a praise report this week to the glory of God. Our work there continues as we partner together with you to share the love of Christ. Praise the Lord for the lives that were touched and the souls that were saved as a result of your prayers and support!

As we come to Mark chapter 15, the crucifixion of Christ is now upon us. Jesus is brought before Pilate to be judged and Pilate, for various reasons, wants to wash his hands of the whole situation. Jesus was brought to Pilate by the religious leaders under the pretense that they were concerned about Jesus being a threat to the Roman government. The Scripture says that "the chief priests accused him (Jesus) of many things." They wanted Him dead at all cost and it had nothing to do with the security of the Roman government. Pilate had a custom of releasing one prisoner of the people's choosing during the Passover.

Pilate must have been hoping that they would ask for the release of Jesus, but instead they asked for Barabbas-surprise surprise! We know little about this man, but we do know that Pilate kept his word and released Barabbas to them once the crowd began to go hysterical with shouts of Jesus' crucifixion.

Look at the drama of this scene: "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. Mark 15:9-11

Pilate was a smart man, a man of the world and he greatly understood the inner workings of men's hearts. He had not risen through the ranks of the Roman government without being able to read between the lines of the behavior of others. Pilate knew very well that the priests were not loyal to Caesar, just as he knew Jesus was not a threat to the Roman government. He correctly perceived that the real issue was one of envy. Here is a pagan Roman official discerning the spiritual condition of those who claimed to be closest to God. Amazing!

Envy is a feeling of sorrow at another's good fortune. We see this sin at all levels of society. Envy finds joy when evil or loss befalls someone else. It is not just that we are angry that someone else received something good in life, but envy causes us to be thrilled at the pain the other person is going through. The modern American culture is built upon the sin envy. Just listen to new casts, talk radio, commercials and conversation at the office or job site. No one is ever happy for someone else's success and we relish in the demise of others.

It is most amazing that this sin is found most frequently in the church. Every Sunday there are those who are in great pain because of the success of another brother or sister. One church becomes envious of another for their numerical growth or their notoriety in the community. Staff members become envious as one ministry is exalted over another, at least in their minds. Members fight over territory, resources and "platform time." The world has crept into the church and we don't even notice it.

Just as the priests were envious towards Jesus because of His popularity and power we find ourselves envious in the same way. The worst kind of envy is that which comes against the Holy Spirit. It is the envy of someone else's gifts-spiritual gifts. People become competitive and envious over the very gift's that God the Holy Spirit distributes. I have seen it with my own eyes even in our ministry. It is frightening. It is deadly. It is ugly.

Don't try to be something you are not because you think it will advance you, or bring attention to you. Don't mimic someone else's gifts because in the end you will only be frustrated and probably embarrassed. I have met more people who think they are teachers or preachers who have no gifting whatsoever for that ministry. They are envious of that gift, they want it, but they don't. Envy kills a church and the envy of others spiritual gifts is a sin against the Holy Spirit!

The Spirit has given you gifts and you must know what they are. There are plenty of resources available to help you discover your gifts. But the best way to find your gift is to not sit around and read about gifts, but to get busy serving the Lord. You will find things that come naturally to you and things that don't. Other people will confirm to you what your gifts are as well; listen to what they are saying. The best place to start though is to ask the One who gave you the gifts what He wants you do for Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what gifts He has given to you and how He wants you to use them. I am almost 52 and I still pray that prayer because I know I can deceive myself, thinking I have gifts I don't have. The priests should have been working with Jesus not against Him. Envy leads to dissention, factions and eventually to malice. And it was malice that caused the chief priests to call for the death of Jesus. Malice is envy at its worst since joy is attained through the pain of others, just the opposite of "loving my neighbor as myself." Get busy for your Lord and let Him reveal the unique gifts He has given to you!

Bless you,
Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

No Comparison

Regular devotions will resume next week.
This week we are sharing an excerpt from Dan Owens book, A Joy That Is Real.

Take advantage of our SPECIAL OFFER RATE of only $4.50 (free shipping) and Order Now


But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
(Philippians 3:7-11)

We compare all the time. We compare the old with the new; we compare our jobs, homes, possessions, and our families with other people. For some people, comparisons lead them to believe that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

In this passage, Paul compares a few things. After instructing the Philippians to put no confidence in the flesh, he tells them where they should put their confidence-in knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection.

Paul knew that his credentials were only good for this world. All the notoriety, all the accolades, and all his accomplishments were present gains that were nothing when compared to knowing Christ. He considered them rubbish-literally "garbage."

I have seen ministers come to Christ. It is quite a shock to most people, but I have seen pastors of all backgrounds come forward at evangelistic events and pray to accept Christ. It might be hard for some of us imagine. Some people are walking around like Paul was, trying to reach God by doing good deeds. Jesus finally came to Paul and showed him that he needed faith, because without it, nothing else matters.

G.K. Chesterton writes, "Let your religion be less of theory and more of a love affair." As a Pharisee, Paul certainly had the theory down, but he had to realize that faith was more important in bringing him to the point of salvation.

Unfortunately, humans have always wanted to make up rules for God. The Pharisees had more than six hundred rules and regulations. Keeping them supposedly would make them spiritual and bring them closer to God. As Paul looks back, he realizes that all those laws didn't do a bit of good. They were all worthless compared to knowing Jesus.

We have to ask ourselves: Would I consider everything I have as garbage compared to knowing Christ? Is he all I need?
Be blessed,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

God is Benevolent

Dan Owens and the Eternity Minded Ministries' ministry team is returning from Iquitos Peru today. Regular devotions will resume next week.

This week we are sharing another excerpt from Dan Owens book, A Faith That Is Real.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
(James 1:16-18)

It is God's nature to give. In verse 17, James says, "Every good and perfect gift is rom above." God does not give us temptations. He gives us good and perfect gifts, and we receive those gifts every day.

One of the most encouraging things we can do is look at our day and try to identify all the gifts God has given us in it. Intead of going through the day complaining and being negative, we should go through our day looking at all the wonderful gifts he has bestowed upon us. We need to understand that God is benevolent and that every day he gives us gifts. He gives us the gift of laughter. Today, we can laugh, we can smile, we can have joy. Health is a gift. Family is a gift. We are able to enjoy the gift of nature all around us. Because of God's goodness to us, we have the gifts of love, friendship, and forgiveness. Here James is telling us, "Listen, God's not giving you a temptation. No, God is the benevolent Father who is giving you good and perfect gifts."

As the psalmist said of God, "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters . . . my cup overflows" (Psalm 23:2, 5). Every good and perfect gift-love, laughter, family, nature, joy, friends, church, everything that we have-has come down from the Father who says, "I want to bless you with a gift."

I always enjoy reading in the Old Testament about the way God dealth with Israel. Through his servant Moses, God told his people:

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. (Deuteronomy 30:15-18)

As we read that passage, we would think that the choice would be obvious. Who wouldn't want to choose life and blessing? God warned the Israelites of what would happen to them if they disobeyed him, but they disobeyed anyway. And still, again and again, he allowed them to repent, and he blessed them. What a picture of the benevolence of God. But what a picture of the way we act toward his benevolence.

I love the story of the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32). It is one of the greatest illustrations of God's love. Even though the son disobeyed and disrespected his father, when he finally returned, the father not only welcomed his son back, but he ran out to meet him. God our father is waiting with open arms for us. He is running toward us, and he wants us to run to him.

When our kids are young, we like to pick them up, hug them hold them, and kiss their chubby little cheeks. But do they want that? Of course not-they would rather be playing. I think God's the same way. He tries to hold on to us, but we get distracted by "fun stuff" that we think we would rather be doing. "Come on spend some time with me," he says.

But we are full of excuses. "God, I've got so much to do today and so many people to meet. Maybe tonight . . . or tomorrow." Our Father wants to be with us, but we have to make time for him.

Henri Nouwen said it best in his book, The Return of the Prodigal Son. "Here is the God I want to believe in: a Father who, from the beginning of creation, has stretched out his arms in merciful blessing, never forcing himself on anyone, but always waiting; never letting his arms drop down in despair, but always hoping that his children will return so that he can speak words of love to them . . . his only desire is to bless."

Be blessed,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

http://www.eternityminded.org

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Dan Owens and a ministry team of 31 believers are currently ministering to the people of Punchana, Iquitos, Peru.

The following is an excerpt from Dan Owens book, A Faith That Is Real.

For more information about our ministry in Iquitos or books by Dan Owens, visit www.eternityminded.org.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (James 1:16-18)

A seven-year old boy cannot stop fidgeting during Sunday school. He tries to pay attention, but it is so hard to sit still. Finally, he can't take it any longer, and he yells out to the teacher, "Can we hurry up? This is so boring."

A little girl turns quickly, punches him in the side, and says, "Be quiet. It's supposed to be boring."

One of my greatest fears when I am speaking is that people will think I am boring. I had some boring professors in college, and I have heard boring pastors at times. I don't want to be like them; I don't want to put people to sleep.

Are we bored with church and with God? Do we look at the world and think it looks like fun because God is so boring?" Do we feel that God is mundane?

If so, James says to us, "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (1:16-17).

Why are we bored with God? Because our hearts are distracted by the world. We need a better understanding of who God is. We need to know his character. Then we can praise the God from whom all blessings flow.

God is Not Out to Destroy Us
The word James uses for God in this passage is Father (1:17). In Matthew 7:11, Jesus reminded us that even earthly fathers give good gifts to their children. How much more will our heavenly Father give us good gifts? Don't be deceived into thinking that somehow God is trying to trip you up and destroy you. He cares for you even more than an earthly father cares for his children.

I am worried somestimes by how easily I can be deceived. My mind plays tricks on me and tells me that something is okay when it's not. Someone once said, "The ingenuity of self-deception is inexhaustible." So James tells us not to be deceived. God is our Father, says James, and he is not trying to put sin in our way.

We cringe when we read stories in the newspaper of parents who have done horrible things to their kids. When we read a story about a mother who killed her own children, we groan inside and think, "How in the world could a parent do such a thing?"

When I think of my own kids, I can't imagine doing anything to cause them pain. But I have to remember that earthly fathers are not perfect. God, our heavenly Father, is perfect, and he does not want to see us in pain. James reminds us in the previous verses that God is not the one who tempts us. He does not seek to do us harm. On the contrary, he wants to bless us.

Be blessed,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

A Couple of New Thoughts

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said. But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you are talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surly you are one of them, for you area a Galilean." He began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about." Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept. (Mark 14:66-72) I am not sure there is a more preached upon passage of Scripture than this one. I have heard more self-righteous sermons about how horrible it was for Peter to deny the Lord. With the preacher's finger pointed to the congregation asking us how many times we deny the Lord just like Peter. I have also heard sermons dealing with the humanness of Peter and how we are all weak when temptation strikes. It can almost come across like we can sin all we want because Jesus knows how frail we are. There is a bit of truth in both of those sides, but the focus should not be on Peter's failure but on the Lord's forgiveness! Hallelujah. Jesus already knew Peter was going to stumble big time, but he also knew that he would not make this a habit in the future. Yes, we all sin, but because we are filled with the Holy Spirit the Lord expects us to get beyond those sins. I would like to make a couple of different observations regarding this passage. As I meditated on it, I noticed a couple of things that I had never really thought of. I don't know about you, but I get excited when I see something new in Scripture. First thing I noticed was that pesty little servant girl. That girl was a major pain! She is a servant girl; she has no business in this whole matter of Jesus' arrest. Mark said that she looked at Peter "closely", and then we he moved away she went and followed him out into the entryway. What's up with that? The little brat made a big scene with her big mouth by drawing the attention of others to Peter. Maybe she was trying to "kiss-up" to her boss by finding out some juicy information. It could be that she was just a nasty little mean spirited girl. Let's face it; there are people like that in our world, in your world. They are at work, they live in our neighborhoods, and they even attend church. We have a neighbor down the street that is so nasty that the police have been called out over thirty times to their house. Praise the Lord we are several doors away and don't have to deal with them. It's just best to stay away from some people. You might be thinking, "Well Dan, should we try to build relationships with them and lead them to Christ?" Well, if you are ready to let the hordes of hell into your life and home then go for it. The Bible tells us that there are "God-haters" who are bent on destruction, and that means the destruction of you and your family. No wonder the Apostle Paul admonished us to stay away from mean nasty people who just like to make life miserable for others. Just because someone smiles and uses church words does not mean that they are people that you want to let into your home. Now, the second thing I noticed was Peter's words after he cursed. I have never really thought about how sad they are. Peter said, "I don't know this man you are talking about." That is so sad because I believe Peter was telling the truth-he did not know the man. Have you ever been in one of life's situations where a person changes before your very eyes? How many couples have decided to divorce with the final words of, "I don't even know you anymore" being said? How many friends part company with the words, "I thought I knew you, but I guess I didn't?" It is horrible to think you know someone only to find out you really didn't. Peter thought he had Jesus all figured out. He thought he knew what the plan was for this new Kingdom that Jesus was going bring. He thought that Jesus was Lord, Messiah, and ruler, but in the end Jesus was arrested and led away. What kind of ruler, Messiah, and Lord was Jesus? When asked if he knew Jesus, Peter responds with "I don't know this man, I thought I did but now I guess I never really did." You see, we are blessed with being able to see the "big picture" while Peter only saw that night. Three years of traveling with Jesus now seemed like a total waste of time to Peter. Peter goes back to fishing. The game is over. The dream is gone. Jesus was now only chapter in Peter's life. However, Peter would soon see the "big picture" as well and he would become the leader of the church in every way. Jesus tells us in Matthew that a day will come when He will tell some people that He never knew them. Yes, even though they said the right words, did the right deeds and looked the part, Jesus will walk away from them. If Jesus can say that He did know me, then I can also say that I never knew Him. What a horrible thought! Is there anything in your life right now that is more important than knowing Jesus? No! We have the Holy Spirit, we have the Scriptures and we have 2,000 years of church history to help us know Jesus quite well. We are to be pitied more than Peter if we "don't know this man" as we can and should.
Be blessed,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
http://www.eternityminded.org/

Apology Accepted!

As my wife continues to research my Native American background and in particular the Salinan Tribe, I am often mystified by how much good the Catholic Church did for them while also doing an incredible amount of damage. Because of my interest in the Catholic/Salinan relationship, a more recent apology by a member of the Catholic Church caught my attention. Here is the story.

“At a Mass celebrated last month at the Church of St. Raphael in San Rafael, retired Sacramento bishop, Francis A. Quinn, apologized to the Coast Miwok Indians for what he called the mistreatment of them by Spanish missionaries two centuries ago.

Quinn said that, at the Dec. 15 Mass, “I felt I should express regret that the Miwok were treated unfairly in many ways, although the missionaries were well-intentioned but mistaken and doing only what they had been taught to do in bringing the faith to the Indians.”

I was blessed when I read this story and can certainly understand why the apology was given and accepted. There are many who feel that that Christians should receive an apology like that from the Jews for killing Jesus. At the time of his crucifixion they were certainly the driving force of His death. The Roman government really could have cared less about Jesus until the Jewish leaders started making noise about Him.

In Mark 14:53-65 we read the account of the early trial of Jesus. Remember there were two trials that took place, an ecclesiastical one and a civil one. Each trial had several parts to it which is why we see a variety of players and personalities as we read this account in the four Gospels. But at the end of the day even when Pilate found Jesus lacking guilt, it was the chief priests and officers who first shouted, “Crucify Him.”

In his New Testament Commentary on Mark, Dr. William Hendriksen tells us how the Jewish leaders twisted the law thus leading to the death of Jesus.

“It has been emphasized by various authors that the trial of Jesus was illegal on several technical grounds such as the following: a. No trial for life was allowed during the night. Yet, Jesus was tried and condemned during the hours of 1-3 A.M. Friday, and executed on the Fest, which was forbidden. According to Pharisaic law, no hearings in a case involving capital punishment could ever be initiated on the eve of a major festival like Passover. No conviction was allowed at night. To execute a sentence on the day of one of the great feasts was contrary to established regulations. b. The arrest of Jesus was effected as a result of a bribe, namely, the blood-money which Judas received. c. Jesus was asked to incriminate Himself. d. In cases of capital punishment, Jewish law did not permit the sentence to be pronounced until the day after the accused had been convicted. Such and similar points of law have been mentioned again and again and used as arguments to prove the illegality of the entire procedure against Jesus of Nazareth.”

In this illegal trial the Jewish leaders already had in their mind what they wanted the outcome to be whether the evidence supported it or not. Mark records, “They all condemned him as worthy of death.” And, death is what they got. Pilate buckled under the pressure after his plan to free Jesus failed. In fact it failed so badly that a harden criminal was set free and the Innocent One went to the cross.

In this day of political correctness when everyone is demanding apologies for everything I often here people say that the Jews should apologize for killing Jesus. I don’t know how you feel about that, but I am glad they did kill Jesus. Jesus died for my sin! He was and is the sacrificial Lamb of God. He rose from the grave to prove His deity. He ascended into to heaven to make intercessions for me. He is preparing a place for me right now. He sent the Holy Spirit to fill me. He has brought me into an everlasting relationship with the Trinity. It was God’s plan to from the beginning to have Jesus Christ die for not only the Jews but for the entire planet. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah and Amen!

I was in a service recently where the congregation recited the Apostle’s Creed. It moved me as I reflected on the history of that Creed. Its exact date of writing is not known but we know that Tertullian was quoting it in the second century. Early church fathers often stated that it was written by the twelve apostles on Pentecost, each contributing one line. One thing we do know is that for centuries churches of many faiths have memorized it just as the early church did.

1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
5. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.
6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
10. the forgiveness of sins,
11. the resurrection of the body,
12. and the life everlasting.
Amen.

As you can see there are no accusations against the Jews and no apologies demanded. Who needs an aplogy when our hearts are filled with the Spirit of Jesus? Thank God that trial was a farse, end the end it was a gift to us all.

Blessings to you,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries
http://www.eternityminded.org/

I Need You To Do Something

It is with great joy that I send to each week a devotional thought that the Lord has placed on my heart. I have been overjoyed to hear from many of you regarding its impact on your life and the encouragement they bring. Due to my travel schedule, I am not always able to bring you a fresh thought, which is why you often receive excerpts from one of my books. I trust those are meaningful to you as well.

This week I do not have a devotional and in some ways it is on purpose. This week I would like to ask you to do something for me. I need you to pray, and I mean really pray. I need you to pray the prayers that come from your heart, but exit through your mouth. I need you to ask others to pray. Let me tell you why, and no, this is not a pitch or plea for money.

Many of you know that we are doing something groundbreaking for our ministry in Peru. We are returning to same city of Iquitos again, yet to a different district. Last year we ministered in the district of San Juan in Iquitos, and in just a few weeks we will be ministering in the district of Punchana. We believe this is a wonderful way to do ministry as we develop long-term relationships with the pastors and leaders of that city. I can tell you that fruit that we saw last year is fruit that remains to the glory of God. People in Punchana are ready, trained, and excited to begin ministry with us shortly.

With this new strategy for EMM we have also learned something of the devils work, which is why I am pleading for prayer. In years past it seems like we have snuck up on the enemy with our festivals. At times it truly seemed that the devil did not know what we were up to and the mighty power of God fell in fantastic ways. Yes, we have had battles but we had a "foot up" on the enemy because of the surprise element.

This time in Punchana there is no surprise element! Do you understand what I am saying? This time the devil and all the evil forces of that area know who we are and what we are about and when we are coming. They saw us in their city last year and I can promise you they did not like it. Now the evil forces are not only fortified, they are on the offensive. We are seeing the attacks of the devil in ways we have not seen before. These are real. They are not just something in our imagination nor are they something we have invented for our own self-importance. They are real and their attacks are deadly-I mean people have died.

I am getting ready to take 30 people into an area that is teaming with evil and I need prayer for the protection of everyone on our team. God is with us, He will be victorious in the end, but we also know there is a fight ahead. Please, from the bottom of my heart, would you please pray for our ministry in Punchana, Peru June 1-10? I was reminded this week when one of our team members who has been laid low in the hospital told me that she got a word from the Lord. That word to her was, "You have no idea where you are going." She said that word was confirmed by someone else who heard the same thing.

I do not take her words lightly because I have seen the evil even as we make preparations to preach Jesus Christ in an area that is infested with sin. I have a great heaviness on my heart that tells me we are in for a fight. So dear friends, right now, would you begin to pray for us. Pray for the local committee and pastors in Punchana, and pray for those 30 people who are stepping out in faith to minister with us. We need the protection of the angels, the power of the Holy Spirit to do battle, and love of Christ to be our motivation.

I apologize for not sending you a devotional thought this week, but I have felt a compulsion to ask you for your prayerful help. Thank you for supporting us, for loving us and now for praying for us!

God Bless You,

Dan

Thank God Jesus Was Arrested!

It’s happened again! James Woodard was released from prison last week after being incarcerated for 27 years for a crime he did not commit. The DNA evidence showed that he did not sexually assault nor kill a woman back in 1980. James sat in a courtroom years ago while two witnesses fingered him out as the man they saw committing the crime. Since then, one witness has gone on record to say they lied about it, and the other witness is just not believable because of the distance they were from the crime seen at 3:30am. Mr. Woodard claimed innocence from the beginning, even writing so many letters of appeal that they finally just got tired of hearing from him.

There are countries that I have traveled to where when people are arrested; they are guilty until proven innocent. It is hard for us to fathom that with our system of innocent until proven guilty. Our system however, certainly did not work for Mr. Woodard who is now fifty-five years old. Can you imagine the feelings of being accused and convicted for something that you have never done?

In some ways James Woodard has something in common with Jesus our Lord. A court that was filled with prejudice, distortions, and lies convicted them both. A court that had already made up its mind before it was even concluded convicted them. There is something that they do not share in common though. James Woodard denied the accusations against him. He claimed his innocence from the beginning and stood by that story up until his release from prison last week. On the other hand, Jesus affirmed the accusation that was leveled against Him.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,”” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:61-62) Jesus not only agreed with the accusation but He clarified it. After years of keeping His identity quiet, and not publicly claiming His “messiahship” Jesus clearly answers the question, “Yes, I am the Messiah!”

Maybe his disciples were thinking, “OK, now we are getting somewhere. Lets see what He does now, like call down thousands of angels to take over the Roman army.” However Jesus did nothing except make the claim that He was the long awaited Messiah coming from the very presence of God. James Woodard was condemned by a lie; Jesus was condemned by the truth!

As we begin to read Mark’s account of Christ’s Passion as told to him by Peter, the theme that stands out above all others to me is Amazing Love! There are interesting historical and prophetic facts in the next two chapters, but it is the love of God for us that captures my attention. Now that we find Jesus being abused and ridiculed just as He said would happen, we ponder how He could endure this. Even now in these early “fly by night” trials Jesus was being physically abused. Mark 14:65 says, “Then some began to spit at him with their fists, and said, ‘Prophesy!’ And the guards took him and beat him.”

Peter, as an eyewitness tells us that Jesus never retaliated, never fought back, and never made hateful comments. It is so hard for me to understand love that sacrificed in this way for me and for you. God’s love is always a self-giving love. God continually gives because that is essentially what love does. God gives even the tough stuff of life, as He knows it will bring eternal benefits to our soul. Now as the horrific pain begins, Jesus endures so that He can give to us the gift of redemption! As the blood of Jesus begins to flow so does the gift of life’s meaning for all us. Once alienated from God, through the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, we now can see the big picture. We have come out of the fog.

Dr. Kreeft has put it this way on the meaning of life without God. “If there is no God, there is no ultimate meaning of life. If we came ultimately from nothing and die ultimately into nothing, we are ultimately nothing. If we are made in the image of God, we are the children of the King of Kings. But if we are made only in the image of King Kong, we are only clever apes.”

When Jesus was arrested one can almost imagine that all of heaven stopped to watch. This was the beginning of end for the devil and pain of alienation that he brought to mankind. The arrest of Jesus started the chain of events that would forever change the eternal destiny of mankind. Human souls would now be in harmony with their Creator and understand that they were on a journey home.

Professor Kreeft goes on about the human’s realization that something is missing in life. “Our desire for joy, for a joy we can ever find in this world, even from other people, points to another world (heaven) and another Person (God); for every natural, innate and universal desire corresponds to a reality that can satisfy it. The reality of hunger shows the reality of food; the same is true of the hunger for God and heaven.”

Besides heaven and the eternal presence of God, I would say the greatest gift I have on this earth is the gift of meaning. I wrote about this not long ago. To understand God’s work in history allows me to enjoy this blue planet so much more. Not that I have all the answers to all of my questions, but I know where I came from; I know what I am doing here; and I know where I am going as I journey along.

My heart is so sad for Mr. Woodard and for the 27 years he lost behind bars for a crime he never committed. I can only pray that while in prison the Lord of prisons came into his life bringing him eternal freedom. My heart is also sad for those who have lived a lifetime and never knew why!

In The Name of Jesus,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

I Feel Your Pain

H.G Wells on his 65th birthday confessed to the amazement of his "friends", "I am sixty-five, and I am lonely and have never found peace." Someone has determined that a city is a place where people are lonely together. The staggering feelings of being alone are not relegated only to those who do not know the Lord. The famous Southern Baptist missionary Lottie Moon said when reflecting on her work, "I hope no missionary will ever be as lonely as I have been." Loneliness is a pain that no words can describe.

You might be surprised to know that Jesus experienced loneliness like no other soul ever has. Most often we picture Jesus with throngs of people around Him, His close friends, and His inner circle, yet at the end of His life loneliness reigned. It is true that Jesus our Savior relates to our physical pain, but it is also true that He understands our emotional pain as well.

As I read Mark 14 and the events that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, I am astounded at the range of emotions that Jesus displays. He truly was fully human at the deepest level-emotionally. A crucifix can remind us that Jesus was God in flesh, which is why the crucifix came into being in the 4th century, but only the words of Jesus can remind us that He was human at the emotional level as well.

The Scriptures tell us that: They came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter James and John along with him, and began to be deeply distressed and troubled. Jesus knows what is coming and in this dark hour, He desires to have people with Him. I find it quite touching that he took His disciples with Him, and then once He got them settled, He asked His three closest friends to go a little further with Him. Jesus did not want to be alone. He wanted human companionship and comfort.

Mark tells us that Jesus was deeply distressed and that he was overwhelmed in his soul. There can be many reasons for these feelings but one thing is for sure, Jesus was dreading the total isolation that He was going to endure in His death. He was going to be deserted by His followers and closest friends. He was going to have His own Father turn away from Him while hanging on the cross-a loneliness that goes beyond our imagination!

I believe it was St. John of the Cross that came up with the expression for this kind of emotional pain calling it, "The dark night of the soul." There comes a time in each of us when we see only clouds and feel nothing but despair. One brother was honest enough to write, "God's people have no assurances that the dark experiences of life will be held at bay, much less that God will provide some sort of running commentary on the meaning of the each day's allotment of confusion, boredom, pain, or achievement."

No, the sun does not always shine for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Suffering and pain come to us to do the work of God's formation of our lives and character. Not all adversity in life comes from dark and sinister forces that want to destroy us. Some pain comes from the hand of God in order to bring growth in our lives. Isolation is painful but it reveals a great deal about our frailty. There is nothing like loneliness to make you realize that being an island goes against God's plan for us.

If you are facing loneliness today, you must first admit your loneliness to yourself. Evaluate your loneliness and how you got to the point where you are. Jesus realized His friends could not feel His pain, so He left them alone and went to pray to His Father. His Father could understand. Have you ever confessed to God and to Jesus that you are lonely? Have you ever told them how much it hurts? Have you ever written a letter to your Father explaining just how you feel?

As an introvert myself, the one thing I know is that if I want friendships (and I do) I have to go and make them. People rarely reach out to one another, even at church. Have you ever been a visitor at a church? Wow, talk about a lonely feeling-all those people yet no one talks to you. The only way to overcome this is to show yourself friendly. You have to get involved and meet people. And at the same time you also have to be careful of trying so hard that you wear people out. If people are avoiding you, maybe it's because you have gone beyond friendly to the point of irritation.

I want you to take comfort today knowing that Jesus experienced the range of emotions that you experience. In the garden, Jesus got upset, discouraged, and depressed that His best friends could not stay awake and pray for Him. In this passage, Jesus says the famous words, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Jesus, the creator of our flesh and spirit knows exactly how we operate. He knows the weakness of the flesh and the weakness of our spirit.

Let Jesus, through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, minister to your spirit today. Pour out your heart and ask the Spirit to not only comfort you, but also sustain you, and give you wisdom as to how to move out of your loneliness. Remember, you are not alone, and you never have been. God is always with you and every brother and sister has experienced those same emotions. Receive comfort, receive the Lord and comfort someone else today as well.

God bless you,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Be Gentle

The following is an excerpt from Dan Owens book A Joy That Is Real, Chapter 19

The Romans didn't like the word gentle any more than they liked the word humble. It symbolized weakness and frailty.

Paul says that our gentleness should be evident to everyone. The older I get, the harder I find it is to be gentle and patient - especially when I'm out on the freeway. There's always that person sitting in the fast lane doing the speed limit, backing up traffic for three miles. I find myself getting irritated at that point.

Jesus was the ultimate example of this attribute. First Peter 2:23 says, "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats." The prophet Isaiah tells us that Jesus allowed himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter (53:7).

I was in a restaurant with a couple of other men. As we sat conversing, a young woman with a physical handicap walked up to our table. She was trying to sell us something. Some of the guys at our table began questioning her and making fun of her. I watched as she answered their questions and was gracious to them.

Her gentleness convicted me, so I took a closer look at what she was selling. She had made little placards with sayings on them, and one read, "People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges." It looked interesting, so I said, "I'll take three of these." I took out my wallet and gave her some money, and she thanked me and left.

The following Sunday I was preaching at my church, and I looked down and there in the front row sat the same young woman. She smiled at me and I smiled back. I was struck with the realization that if I had been rude to her and said mean things, I would have been feeling pretty bad about myself right then. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit had prompted me to respond with gentleness.

Being gentle means that we yield our personal rights for the consideration of others. Paul also says to be gentle because the Lord could return at any time.

God bless you,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Joy In Prayer

The following devotion is from A Joy That is Real by Daniel Owens, Chapter 19

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7

One summer when I was a youth pastor, we took a group of high school students to a lake in the Sierra Mountains. The lake had a pontoon dock in the middle of it, so one of the other adults joined me in rowing out to reach the dock. We were fully dressed and didn't have our swimsuits on. Once we reached our destination, we tied up the boat and jumped onto the floating dock.

As soon as our feet hit the boards, we noticed something. There was a little hole in the middle of the dock, and out of it came hundreds of buzzing yellow jackets, disturbed from their slumber. I got stung eight or nine times before I could even hit the water. Without thinking about our clothes, we jumped in the water and literally swam the boat back to shore. We couldn't even get in the boat because the bees were everywhere.

Bees really make you move, as we found out. How many people have been in accidents because they were swatting at a bee inside the car? One little bee that could easily be squished will make a person go crazy. Some people are allergic to bee stings, so they have an excuse, but I don't know about the rest of us. Bees certainly get you moving.

In this passage we have a beehive of imperatives that Paul gives us to live by. They should get us moving as well. These verbs are in the imperative tense, which means that they are commands or obligatory duties. Your boss might say, "It is imperative for you to be at work by 7:00 a.m. so you don't lose your job." Here Paul is saying, "It is imperative that you do these things so that you can experience the peace of God."

The Message paraphrase by Eugene Peterson says: "Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Be Joyful
Paul gives his first imperative twice: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" This is a present active imperative, which means "do it right now!" Right now, even in the midst of suffering, in the midst of the disunity in the church because of the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche, Paul wants the Philippians to rejoice.

We have all had situations in our lives when we have found it difficult to be joyful. When we experience disappointment, when people hurt us, or when our lives are full of trials or grief, we don't really feel like rejoicing.

One of the things we need to do in the midst of difficult situations is look for God. Do you see him in the suffering you are going through? Do you understand what he's trying to accomplish in and through your life? Is God making you stronger?

A seventeenth-century preacher named Jeremiah Burroughs wrote an incredible book called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. In it he explains why believers should be filled with joy no matter what their circumstances are. He gives a few reasons why Christians should be content and not have a complaining spirit.

First, complaining is a particularly serious offense in light of how we have been so greatly blessed--especially when we complain about trivial things.

I was standing in line at the bank, and the man behind me started complaining about the bank and the long line. He continued on in such a loud voice that he soon drew others into the conversation. After listening for a while, I turned around and said, "Listen, this bank is open six days a week. In some countries, the bank is only open one day a week, if that. Our money is insured by the federal government--we know it's worth the same this week as it was last week. There are plenty of countries where the government steals your money whenever they want to. I think we're pretty fortunate."

Second, Burroughs says that complaining is especially serious when done by those to whom God has been so gracious, because our troubles are often a part of God's plan to humble us.

Joy is the mark of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It convicts me even to write that. Yet I believe that joy is not based on temperament, personality, or feelings, but on how we let the indwelling Holy Spirit control our lives.

In times past, we were taught that Christians should be solemn. You may have been raised in that way. In the past, Christians walked into church without any laughing or greeting each other, sat down, and quietly listened to ministers who would not even smile from the pulpit because it was God's house.

In parts of that, we were on the right track. God is holy, and we should revere and respect him. However, we sometimes treat the physical house better than we treat our own bodies. Scripture says that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). He lives inside of us, not in a building made by man.

Do we shine the truth joyfully in our lives? Do we rejoice in the Lord during difficult times because we know God is at work in us? Paul could say "rejoice"--even from prison.

God bless you,

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries

Surprise, Surprise!

"Know Thyself" is a famous ancient Greek aphorism attributed to at least six Greek sages and philosophers including Socrates. It was such a part of the Greek belief system that it was chiseled into the Temple of Apollo. Even though it has the tone of wisdom and we should try to understand who we are, it is also impossible to a large degree.

As a Psychology major in college I was fascinated by how powerful, yet mysterious the mind, will and emotions of a human being truly are. We possess great strength and hold great weaknesses all at the same time. Basic Protestant teaching is that man is totally depraved due to our sin nature. The Catholics on the other hand teach that man is basically good because he was created in the image of God, but sin has wounded mankind. Either way, we know we have within us the ability to think and do shockingly horrible things.

Peter, with all of his bravado, was a man who thought he knew himself, yet was self deceived. Jesus with his closest friends at His side says in Mark 14:27, "You will all fall away." To this Peter responds with such emotion that it caused the others to rally as well when he says, "Even if all fall away, I will not." Then he makes a statement that had to have made Jesus smile at least on the inside, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." With this boisterous statement Peter is setting himself up for a great failure.

Like Peter we are often filled with good intentions to follow the Lord in every way. Our emotions carry us along after we hear a passionate sermon only to see our commitment dissipate over time. We make a pledge to ourselves to read His word daily and find that our will is not as strong as we thought it was. To understand how our mind, will and emotions all work together I would highly recommend the works of Dallas Willard, especially Matters of the Heart and The Spirit of the Disciplines. These two books have been a great enlightenment to me.

Peter's emotions were not enough to keep his intellect and will from turning away from Jesus. The amazing thing is that Jesus knew and predicted that Peter and the others would fall away. And for Peter, Jesus told him exactly how it was going to happen. To me the most wonderful aspect of this passage is the fact that Jesus told them that even after they fell away He would come back to them. Two thousand years later Jesus is still doing the same thing for us!

Let me make a distinction here between what Jesus calls "falling away" and what Scripture calls rebellion against God. There is a difference. The words that Jesus used to describe the upcoming failure of His friends come from the words "to bait" or "to lure." It literally means to be "entrapped." Peter's heart was in the right place, but he forgot that the devil and his own sinful nature could easily set a trap for him. Bravado yes, wisdom no!

You and I must always remember that evil is patient! Never forget that truth. You can have victory after victory and evil will patiently stand by for the right moment to spring. Peter was with Jesus when he made such a bold statement, and evil was standing by just waiting for the right time to take him down. We have all fallen away from the Lord as we have been entrapped by our sinful nature, the schemes of demonic activity and the lure of this world. Like Peter we have quickly learned that the very sin we say we will never commit is the very sin that can easily embarrass us.

Jonathon Edwards one of America's greatest theologians of the early 1700's wrote,

"How ready are we to go astray! How easily we are drawn aside into innumerable snares, while in the mean time we are bold and confident, and doubt not but we are right and safe! How much do we stand in need of the wisdom, the power, the condescension, patience, forgiveness, and gentleness of our good Shepherd!"

Peter fell away while Judas walked away. We see this over and again in Scripture and in life. David fell away, and Saul walked away. Mark fell away and Demas walked away. Jesus knows that we will stumble and fall. When I fall physically it takes me by surprise. I don't plan on tripping over raised concrete on the sidewalk, nor do I plan to stumble backwards by stepping back on something out of place in my garage. The falling that Jesus mentions to Peter and to us is the kind that comes as a surprise.

There is a huge difference between falling and a calculated walking away. As Paul tells us of his once trusted companion Demas, "Demas having loved this present world has forsaken me." There are many who contemplate their next sinful action because their heart is in rebellion against the Lord. They really want salvation on their terms. They want a life that is filled with the junk of this world and just a bit of salvation so they can escape eternal punishment.

Because we have both the ability to "fall away" and "walk away" from the Lord we must draw closer and closer to the Lord. As we grow older we should grow our roots deeper with Christ. Satan is organized in every way, just like an army. He has those who work on keeping people from the Gospel. He has others who work on tripping up new believers. And, he has those who work to bring down those who have been walking with Jesus for many years. Think of the hideous laughter in the demonic realm when a Christian that has been walking with Jesus for years, and now in the later part of their life walks away from the Lord.

As we age, we must guard our hearts from pride, bitterness, envy, jealousy, greed, and lust. These are the sins that will make our hearts turn away. We are all capable of great good, but also of great evil. Guard our hearts Lord!

Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded MinistriesAll rights reserved

It’s More Than You Think

It is called “The Lord’s Table”, “The Lord’s Supper”, “Communion”, “Holy Communion”, and “The Eucharist”. Most Christians know immediately what these words imply. We have heard the passage in Mark’s Gospel so many times that if often runs off of us like water off of a ducks back, having no impact on us whatsoever.

The setting was the Jewish Passover meal that Jesus was having with his closest friends. It was the most sacred time in the Jewish calendar year. It was the tradition that allowed all Jews the opportunity to relive the amazing work of God in securing their deliverance from the Egyptians so many years earlier.

In the midst of this meal Jesus, speaking of the bread says, “Take it; this is my body” and of the cup he states, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” The disciples sitting there with him that evening caught the imagery even if they did not understand the whole message. It was a powerful evening that two thousand years later still causes us to reflect on the condition of our own souls.

We live in a world of “contracts” that require our signatures on pieces of paper. Every time we sign a credit card slip we sign a contract. We sign contracts for work to be done, homes to be purchased and cars to be leased. A contract is for the exchanging of property and business transactions. Jesus did not say to us that His blood was given as part of a contract. No, Jesus says that His body and blood are a “new covenant.”

According to those who are much brighter than me, a covenant does not deal with property, but deals with people. A covenant is the exchange of persons. An example of this can be found in the wedding ceremonies I perform. There are two people exchanging vows and making a covenant of love and faithfulness between them. They are giving their lives away in pledge to each other.

Jesus is telling us that He is giving us His life and is asking that we give our lives to Him in return. He has made a covenant with us and every time we take the bread and cup we not only remember His sacrificial death, but we renew our convent, our vows.

If you ever take the opportunity to read early church history either online or in a book, you will be amazed at how much emphasis is placed on “The Lord’s Supper.” I often hear people mock the Catholic Church for putting so much emphasis on this aspect of their service, yet we often make it almost obsolete in our Protestant churches. We have made church so “hip” that we have forgotten the sacred, the holy, the reverence.

Jesus made it very clear that the taking of the bread and cup was to be a “big deal” in His family. He did not say to His church that every time we gather we should have a Bible study or sing songs, or have a potluck. Jesus said that when we come together we should renew our vows to Him in a covenant relationship with bread and cup.

Personally, I think it’s a sad day when a church tacks Communion on at the end of the service. Sometimes you get the feeling that it is something that “we have to do” so that the older people won’t get upset. It can come across when done in haste in the earlier part of the service like something we “have to get through” so we can get on to the more important part of the service-the preaching. Funny, Jesus did not say anything about the preaching of great sermons, but He did tell us to honor Him and our covenant with Communion.

In what are often called “High Churches” like Episcopalian, Lutheran, and others, the word used for Communion is “Eucharist”. The Catholics also use this second century expression, which simply means, “Thanksgiving.” An attitude of thanksgiving is certainly the need of our day. When the bread and cup are passed to you what is your attitude? Are you thankful for the amazing covenant that Jesus has made with you?

Justin Martyr was born about the same time that the Apostle John died. He was executed for his faith, but not before he wrote much in defense of Christianity to the Roman government. Today we still have many of his lengthy writings and can see the seriousness and commitment of the early church. Regarding The Lord’s Supper he writes,
“We call this food the thanksgiving (Eucharist), and the only people allowed to receive it are those who believe our teaching and have received the washing for the remission of sins and for regeneration; and who live according to the commands of Christ.”

May I encourage you the next time you celebrate Communion at your church that you focus on the vows you have made to the Lord Jesus. You have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of your awful sin and to come into your life as you submitted your very being to Him. This is the vow you made through an act of prayerful repentance and confession. Now, are you keeping those vows you made to the Lord? Are you faithful to Him, are you growing in love for the Savior and for others, are you being obedient to His leading?

Blessings to you,

Dan Owens

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved

The Way

The following is an excerpt from Who Is This Jesus? by Daniel Owens (pages 115-119). Visit the bookstore at www.eternityminded.org to purchase Who Is This Jesus? or other books written by Dan Owens.

THE WAY

Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my father's home. If that weren't so, would i have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready. I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."

Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"

Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me." (John 14:1-6)

There are many people in our world today who think they know the way to God.

Some people claim the way to God is through enlightenment or through doing good works. A few cults even believe they can get to God by killing themselves.

Jesus makes a bold claim when he claims to be the only way to the Father. Jesus explains to his disciples in Josh 14 how to find him in the future. He leaves a forwarding address. That's why we worship him. Our worship of Jesus is not just for the here and now; it's a worship that will last forever.

John 14:6 is one of the most frequently quoted and memorized verses in the Bible: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The way, the truth, and the life. Those three words contain so much meaning that they merit our focus for this entire section.

The disciples were concerned because Jesus had recently spoken about leaving them. So he comforts them by telling them that he is going to prepare a place for them and that he will come back again. Is is a passage that we read often at memorial services and funerals because it gives us great hope. If the person who passes away was a follower of Jesus, we know we will have a joyful reunion someday in heaven.

Of course, Thomas was not satisfied. "Lord, we don't know the way," he said. The disciples were certainly upset. Jesus was going to leave them, and they wanted to know where he was going.

As I read that passage, I think that Jesus must have been a wonderful person to "hang out with". The disciples wanted to be with him, and not just because he could turn water into wine or feed multitudes from a couple of loaves and fish. They wanted to be in his presence.

I can't wait to get to heaven and hear about what it was like to spend time with Jesus here on earth. I wonder if he joked with his disciples. Perhaps he teased them a little bit. I wonder what it felt like to watch him do miracles.

Thomas expressed a concern that all the disciples felt at Jesus' statement. None of them wanted him to leave. But Thomas was the pessimistic one, always a little doubtful, and he was going to make sure he knew where Jesus was going. The look on his face must have been priceless as Jesus replied, "I am the way."

The Way Is an Offense
While the words of Jesus in the beginning of John 14 are full of hope, when we get to verse 6, they take a little turn. He goes from talking about mansions and rooms in his Father's house to a very select statement: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's strong language, and it is offensive to many people.

In 2003, news correspondent Peter Arnett los his job with CNN because of his critical statements about the military in Iraq. However true his statements may have been, they offended a lot of people. At about the same time, the singing group Dixie Chicks made some negative comments about President Bush and found themselves facing the disapproval of country music fans.

Words can be offensive. The words of Jesus have offended people for centuries, and they will continue to be offensive to those who choose not to face the truth. Many of Jesus' claims did not sit well with the leaders of the day. " I am the Bread of Life." "I am the Light of the Word." "I am the resurrection." "I am the Good Shepherd." But John 14:16 may top them all. "I am the way . . . . No one comes to the Father except through me."

One of the biggest reasons his claim is so offensive is that it leaves them without a choice. We don't like being told that we have only one viable option. We are a country of consumers who like choices -- many choices. We want choices about the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the churches we attend, and on and on. With so many religions, each claiming to lead people to God, Christianity stands alone in its declaration: "There is only one option. There is only one way. Jesus is the way."

We Americans have choices in just about every area of life -- airlines, cars, mortgage plans, restaurants, or marriage partners -- and we like it that way. But Jesus says there's only one choice when it comes to how to get to heaven.

Some people will say, "Don't tell me how to find God. I will do it myself and in my own way. Don't tell me I have only one choice, because I will find God on my own. I'm smart enough. I can figure it out." The message of the cross is an offense, just as Paul wrote: "We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Cor. 1:23).

Those words are hard, strong, and unbending. That should prompt a couple of responses from us. First, because the message can be offensive to unbelievers, we need to pray. We need to pray that the Lord will open their hearts to receive it. Second, we need to be careful how we say such things. We need to give the message, without diminishing the meaning, in a spirit of love. Otherwise it comes across as arrogant and obnoxious.

One of the tellers at my bank knows I'm a Christian, and she likes to bait me. Whenever I tell her she is doing a great job, she makes a snide comment to see what I'll do. I don't give her a speech on Christianity or "Genesis to Revelation in ninety seconds" or anything like that. But we are building a friendship, and I am planting spiritual seeds. She is used to aggressive, offensive Christians who bludgeon her with their message. I want her to know that I am not pressuring her.

When we witness to an unbeliever, it is so important to communicate in loving words. In fact, it is impossible to communicate the love of God in non-loving words. When we tell someone how wonderful it is to know Jesus Christ, and we share Jesus' words, "I am the way. There is no other way to the Father," it shouldn't be with an air of superiority. We don't have to shout. We don't have to push. All we need to do is calmly put it out there and let the Spirit of God do the rest. You and I can't bring anyone to the Lord. Only the Spirit of God can do that.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, speaking of Christianity, "I like their Christ. I don't like Christians." Why? Because he had observed a spirit of harshness and a spirit of arrogance. He waited to see the spirit of love that Jesus said we, as his followers, should have.

We cannot change the message that Jesus is the way. There will always be those who find it offensive. But we can present our message in a loving and kind way that demonstrates how Jesus desires everyone to find the way to the Father.

God bless you,
Dan

Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved

What Is Your Weakness?

Thomas a Kempis was a German Catholic monk who lived in the time of Renaissance from 1380-1471. His name and work have survived hundreds of years due to his exceptional devotional writings. Both Catholic and Protestant clergy find his famous work, The Imitation of Christ on their bookshelf. It is truly a book that every Christian should read as it is easily regarded as a "Christian Classic" like Pilgrims Progress, Mere Christianity, or The Cost of Discipleship.

Thomas a Kempis wrote, "You will never be an inwardly religious and devout man unless you pass over in silence the short comings of your fellow men, and diligently examine your own weakness." Thomas dealt with the topic of self-examination a fair amount. He realized that we are more prone to focus on the faults of others than to look honestly at our own failures.

In today's reading we find Jesus reclining with His disciples while taking the Passover meal. Chronologically we know that the shocking statement to come from Jesus occurs after He washes His disciple's feet. Jesus disturbs the friendly chatter around the table by saying, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me." (Mark 14:18) This comes as the proverbial bombshell to His friends. They are in disbelief, yet they know that their Master is "The Truth" so He cannot tell a lie.

Jesus is the Host of this Passover meal. It is His food and they are His guests. In many countries when you are welcomed to someone's home, food is given as a sign of peace and friendship. Here in the west we offer a drink first and not so much food. Jesus as Host is showing honor to His disciples and once again reminding them of the special friendship they share. In the midst of this incredibly special time Jesus says that one of those present, eating His food, will in turn betray Him.

Each disciple responds with question, "Surly not I?" This was a very powerful time for the disciples, well, minus Judas. Jesus did not just blurt out the name of His betrayer; He gave each man the opportunity to examine his own heart. As William Hendriksen commenting on this passage says, Jesus allowed them to experience "wholesome self-distrust".

We should have a "wholesome distrust" of ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Pride is our chief sin and it's the launching pad of all others. We therefore must be very careful that we do not become self deceived regarding our own sin nature. We all have the ability to self-destruct just like Judas.

In that brief moment Jesus allowed each disciple to ask the question, "What do I really believe?" Jesus knew that with the cross just around the corner that these men were going to face their greatest test. They needed to wrestle one final time with their personal belief in Him. They needed to examine their hearts, their faith and their motives for following Jesus.

We know that Peter was filled with the inner conviction that he would never turn his back on the Lord. He was confident in his relationship with Jesus and his understanding of himself. Yet, in the darkness of an arrested Jesus he failed to take a stand and swore that he did not know Jesus. If Peter can fail then so can we. Let's be honest, Judas and Peter both failed. One was premeditated and the other was spontaneous, but they both turned from Jesus and walked away.

Judas hung himself in despair, and Peter bolted back to Christ when he realized that forgiveness was being offered to him. I think Peter well understood the words of Thomas a Kempis, "diligently examine your own weaknesses." I am convinced that Peter later asked himself, "How in the world did I do that?" He learned from his mistake.

What are you learning about yourself? We often play mental games and see ourselves as how we want to be, while never dealing with how we really are. Just as Jesus gave His disciples time for self-examination, church history also provides the opportunity for self-examination through the season of Lent.

Most evangelical churches have all but forgotten Lent as well as other wonderful traditions like Advent. Though I do not have time to deal with the history of Lent, let me remind you that it has traditionally been known as a time of fasting, prayer and purification leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and concludes the Saturday evening before Resurrection Sunday, which is forty days in duration.

I only learned of Lent as I began to work with other denominations like Lutheran's, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians while on staff with Luis Palau. My Baptist tradition that I came to the Lord in never spoke of it since it was a pre-Reformation tradition that they pretty much threw out. However, it is a wonderful season that we should use to aid us in self-examination with regards to sin. There is a solemnity to Lent if we approach it with the proper understanding.

Someone challenged me at the beginning of Lent this year to give up eating one day a week until Easter for the purpose of self-examination and prayer. At first I began to make excuses as to why I did not care to accept his challenge and then I had a change of heart. I begin to wonder "What do I really give up for the Lord? Could I use this fast to tell the Lord I want to hunger for you like I hunger for food? Could I use this time with stomach growling to be reminded of all those children I have seen staring to death in the world and to pray for them? Could I use this time to say thank you Lord Jesus for dying for my sin?"

I decided to commit to the Lord to fast one day a week during Lent, not because I am holy but because I am not holy enough. May the Lord show me my weaknesses during this time so that I will rejoice even more deeply on Resurrection Sunday knowing that it is His power that keeps me from self-destruction!

In This Season of Lent,

Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved